Endgame
by K8Malloy
Summary: In the fall of 2012, Kurt and Blaine were together and in love. Until they weren't. What happened to the two young men who cared so deeply for each other? Are they lost to each other forever? Can they find their way back into each other's embrace? A season five story arc.
1. Prom 2013

**Spoilers:** _This story contains spoilers for Season Four. Like, a bunch of spoilers. If you don't want your viewing of Season Four contaminated, please move on. I wouldn't want to ruin anything for you! Feel free to come back after you've watched it, though._

**Warnings:** _The rating is based on adult language._

**Disclaimer:** _I own a lot of debt. I don't own Glee or its characters. I have borrowed several characters from the sandbox and will return them at the end of the story somewhat happier and with typical wear and tear. _

**A/N:** _I am certain I am not the only writer (or reader) of fanfiction who has occasionally had the thought, 'If I wrote for Glee…'. I fell in love with the relationship between Kurt Hummel and Blaine Anderson back in Season Two. I am also brave enough to admit that I felt 'off' for pretty much all of Season Four, watching these two boys try to find their way back to each other after being torn part. I've struggled watching much of Blaine's inability to cope without Kurt and Kurt's hurtful indifference towards Blaine._

_I truly believe Klaine is endgame. I don't believe every HS relationship is doomed to end – having two sets of friends who met and started dating in HS, who are now married, with kids, 20+ years later. That being said, I don't know what happened to the two young men who __**cared**__ so deeply for each other – where did we lose them, and can they find their way back?_

_So this is what I would write, as part of their story arc, for Season Five. If I wrote for the show. Which clearly I do not. Although I could make myself available. Just sayin'._

**Timeframe note:**_ The story begins with the senior prom for the class of 2013, then flashes back to what (could) happens after Regionals, moving forward from there. I placed date references at the beginnings of different sections to give the reader an idea of where in the academic year the story is taking place._

**Endgame**

_Prom 2013_

_Sometime in early May…_

Let's be honest. It wouldn't be a McKinley High school prom, if some major drama filled moment didn't go down.

Which is why, as shocking as it was to see _who _was having the moment, in the end, no one who witnessed it – not Sam or Tina or Artie, all of whom knew the couple so well, – or any of the other students who wobbled on too high high heels, clad in too tight silk and satin that revealed too much recently spray-tanned skin, or wearing borrowed or rented suits that would be returned slightly wrinkled, and hopefully not too stained from activities surreptitiously planned for later that evening – not one of these students was surprised to see that _something_ was going down.

In the darkness of the evening, Blaine Anderson stood in the student parking lot, fists clenched as he fought to contain the anger he felt towards the one person he couldn't stop loving.

He'd become so upset at the utter audacity of his ex, that he'd chosen to storm outside, sans jacket, hoping that the cool evening air would help to calm him down. But instead of taking a hint, Kurt had followed on his heels. Now the beautiful, porcelain skinned man was standing in front of him, waving his arms around passionately, yelling at him – Yelling At Him – because of whom he chose to bring to senior prom.

The more Blaine thought about it, the more he took in Kurt's choice of outfit: the tightest grey chino pants, cream colored Henley partnered with a darker grey vest that had made his eyes pop even more than normal, the more he realized that Kurt had made these choices because he knew how Blaine would react. Blaine realized Kurt had chosen to play on Blaine's weaknesses, had chosen to use those weaknesses against Blaine.

Only Blaine was done. Stick a fork in me, done. He was done being treated this way – by the person he'd handed his heart to more than two years ago. The person who now had no regard to how _his_ words and actions not only made it impossible for Blaine to move on, but continually cut him to the core of his being – giving him the faintest bit of hope before dashing it once again on the ground between them.

So who the hell was Kurt "_We're Just Friends, Blaine_" Hummel to tell him who he could or could not bring to prom as his date? This was going to stop. This _had_ to stop. Now.

"SHUT UP, KURT!" he shouted, surprising them both. Chest heaving as he tried to control his breathing, he glared at Kurt. "Who the fuck do you think you are?" he hissed taking a step forward before his date gripped his arm firmly.

"Blaine," his date said firmly.

Twisting, Blaine tried to free himself from the iron grip of his friend. "Don't, Sebastian. Just don't," he said tightly before swinging back around to focus his rage on Kurt once more.

"Who, Kurt? You have no fucking claim over me. None. You made it perfectly clear we're '_just friends'_. How many times, Kurt? How many times did you tell everyone around us that we're '_just friends'_?" he roared, still struggling to break Sebastian's grip.

Looking around, Kurt was beginning to realize the size of the crowd their spat had gathered. Swallowing hard, Kurt worked to defend his actions. "I…I. Blaine. Blaine, you **are** my friend. And you're here with _Sebastian, _Blaine. He tried to break us apart when he knew we were together. He tried to blind me and you almost lost your eyesight because of it. He cheated, Blaine. Him and the rest of the Warblers. They cheated."

"Yes, Kurt. Funny how I'm actually aware of those facts," spat Blaine venomously. "The really funny part is – I _forgave_ him. It's something people do sometimes. _Forgive_. Sometimes people actually take the time to have a mature heart to heart conversation where they listen to each other and you find out why they did what they did. And sometimes, rather than letting the hurt and anger tear you up inside, you offer that person forgiveness. So you both can move on," he answered heatedly, knowing the words would hit their mark only too well.

Wrapping his arms around himself, in part to ward of the chill of the evening, but also to protect against the rising guilt he felt, Kurt stood up straighter. "I forgave you," he insisted, voice becoming tighter with emotion. "I accepted your apology. I told you I missed my best friend-"

Blaine cut him off. "Right. And that we'd see each other at Christmas, drink hot chocolate and go ice skating-"

"Which we did-" interrupted Kurt.

"Only because your dad flew me up to New York to see you. Because once again, New York was more important than…than us, Kurt. You got in to NYADA and suddenly, deja fucking vu, you didn't have time for me. You couldn't come home because-"

"Because I needed to save money to pay for tuition and rent and food and other things that come along with being in college, Blaine. I explained all of this to you. You said you were okay with my not coming home. You said you understood," Kurt's voice cracked.

Blaine ran his free hand through his curls. "What the hell was I supposed to say, Kurt? Was I supposed to beg you to come home? Because I spent three months begging you to talk to me only to be shut down again and again and again. Of course I said I was okay with it. I would have done anything at that point to have some small piece of you in my life. You were my life, Kurt. But fucking face the truth – if your dad hadn't flown me up to see you – it wouldn't have happened. Because despite your claims that you don't have the money to come home, you've managed to come home for twice since Christmas. And not once have you ever made the time for that mature heart to heart you promised me," Blaine choked up, ceasing his struggle against Sebastian's grip as he wiped tears away from his eyes.

Kurt's eyes narrowed, becoming angry at Blaine's insinuations. "My dad told me he had cancer, Blaine. I'm sorry that you weren't my priority, just then," he answered more snidely than he'd really intended.

"I know. I know, because, hey you met Adam, and why…why even try to patch things up with your high school boyfriend, when some older, more experienced guy with an accent is flirting with you?" Blaine couldn't help that his voice cracked with jealousy at the thought of Kurt being with another guy – even if they were broken up at the time.

"Blaine –"

"No! No, I get it. I totally understand. Especially the part where you came down for Mr. Shue's wedding, despite needing to save money for school, and despite you 'kinda seeing someone', you put your tongue down my throat in the back of your Prius and end up inviting me up to your hotel room - where we…how did you so eloquently put it…oh, yeah, where we 'had fun' before you traipsed back downstairs to reassure yourself and everyone else that we were 'just friends'. Do you have any idea how that made me feel, Kurt? Any?"

"No." Kurt admitted quietly.

Knowing that Blaine's trembling was only due in part to his emotional state, Sebastian slid his wool blazer off of his lanky frame and swung it around Blaine's shoulders to stop the young man from shivering from the cold.

"It's like a razor blade slicing through my heart, Kurt. Every time you say we're just friends, it's another cut. Because you're lying to yourself and you're lying to our friends and you're lying to me. Because we've never ever been just friends and we never will be. And we both know it – even if one of us is too much of a coward to admit it. So less than twelve hours after making love with me in a hotel room, you pranced through the halls of McKinley, making a case to Tina that we're just friends. And how fucked up was that, Kurt. You cut me to the core." Blaine's voice had become raspy from all the shouting and the raw emotions pouring out of him.

Kurt held himself even tighter. "Why didn't you-"

"Say anything?" interrupted Blaine yet again. "That's rich, Kurt. All I've tried to do since last year is talk to you about how I felt. '_Please Kurt, talk to me about you moving to New York and me staying here and how is that going to affect us_,'" he mimicked painfully.

"But, no, you had it all worked out in your head, so why would we actually need to talk about anything, right? How'd that work out for us, Kurt?" He stopped his rant for the space of several heartbeats, almost daring Kurt to answer. "Exactly. So let me be clear, Kurt – since you **laughed** at me when I tried to give you an engagement ring to show you how much you still meant to me – since you clearly have no interest in ever being anything more than my friend, like I said back in March – I can't have you in my life. It hurts too fucking much. And the last thing you get to do, Kurt Hummel, is tell me who I can or cannot bring to my senior prom as my date."

Having pulled a set of keys from his pocket, Sebastian took that moment to reach around Blaine's waist to offer them, palm up, to Blaine. "Go get in my car, Tiger. I think you've pulled enough focus for one evening – even for you and Hummel. Just…give me a second, and then I'll drive us back to Dalton," he said quietly – although he knew he'd said it loud enough for Hummel to overhear.

He knew he and Blaine were only ever going to be friends, and Sebastian was okay with that. But that didn't mean he couldn't feed that flame of jealousy that had clearly brought Hummel all the way from New York to confront Blaine.

Waiting until Blaine had walked far enough away to not overhear, Sebastian shoved his hands into his pants pockets, rocking back on his feet as he stared at Kurt. "He still loves you. God knows, I can't figure out why, but he does."

Kurt frowned. "What do you know about it, Meercat?"

Sebastian sighed looking over Kurt's shoulder at the students who were trickling back into the school to continue dancing now that the major fireworks were finished. "Name calling? Really, Hummel?" He used his practiced bored tone.

"Look, I could care less what you think of me. Truly. But Blaine's been a friend to me, despite everything that went down with the Warblers this year. And I'm going to tell you two things that I probably shouldn't because he'd be pissed beyond belief at me for sharing them – but, like I said, he's been my friend. And friends help each other out."

Taking a deep breath, Sebastian let it out slowly. "First thing you need to know – if your blond friend there," he pointed towards Sam, "hadn't leant his shoulder to cry on, I'm pretty positive Blaine wouldn't be here. On this earth."

Hearing the shocked gasps from the other members of New Directions who were still standing nearby, Sebastian included them in his gaze. "I'm not trying to be dramatic here. That's how bad it got. And then he started to get better. Until right after regionals. I'm guessing that's when he tried to give you that ring." He raised an eyebrow at Kurt, waiting for confirmation.

When Kurt nodded once, Sebastian continued. "I don't know if any of you noticed, because he's quite the fucking actor when he wants to be, but he started spiraling even worse than when he told you to go to New York, felt like you were ignoring him, cheated, and then manned up and went to tell you in person. Fuck, Hummel, it's none of my business, clearly, but have you ever, for one second, thought about what that took? He flew to New York to tell you in person that he fucked up. Didn't tell you over the phone. Not in a text. Hell, he could have never told you – and you'd still be together, none the wiser. But he's too fucking honest for that. And he loves you too much to be anything less than 100% honest. Except when it comes to how he's feeling. Because you haven't cared about his emotional state in far too long. I'm overstepping, I know. Sorry, not sorry." Sebastian shrugged.

Pursing his lips, Sebastian finished. "The second thing I think you need to know is he's not auditioning for NYADA. In fact, he's turned down every school in New York that's accepted him."

"What?"

"The fuck are you talking about, Smythe?"

"That can't be true."

Sebastian ran a hand through his hair. "It **is** true. Last we talked, he was talking about UCLA and USC. You know, Los Angeles…Southern California. He said that going to New York would be too painful. And if he was going to use college as a fresh start, he might as well go somewhere across the country."

"Look, Hummel, I know you hate me – and you have every right to. I'm sorry for what I did. I apologize for being a jackass, and for trying to hurt you physically. But beyond that – because Blaine is my friend, I just want you to know…he does still love you. So if my agreeing to be his prom date was the wake up call you needed to realize that you want to be with him again – fine. Great. Let him know that. But you've got a hell of a bridge to repair. Because after you threw that ring back in his face, he pretty much threw gasoline on the bridge between the two of you and lit it on fire. You're gonna have to work to get him back, Hummel. And if you don't…you're a damn fool. Because what you had with him? It's a once in a lifetime thing. And if you don't believe me, then ask any one of your friends here – because they're gonna tell you the same thing."

Turning away, Sebastian began walking quickly back to his car, before stopping and spinning around one last time. "Hummel? Yeah, he's coming back to Dalton with me…but we really are just friends. His heart belongs to you. Just thought you should know."

Kurt watched as Sebastian Smythe jogged to his car, got in, and drove off into the night, with the only person who would ever hold his heart.


	2. Rejected

_After Regionals 2013_

_Sometime in mid February…_

_Kurt stood in front of a very nervous Blaine on the stage in the auditorium. _

_"Kurt, I…I've thought about what I wanted to say to you…how much you mean to me. I thought about it for a while now, and I decided that, what I need to do, to prove to you once and for all, that I'm serious, that I'm committed to us, was to give you something that would remind you of my commitment to you."_

_Blaine bent down on one knee and pulled out the small black box he'd been carrying in his pocket for days now. "A little over a year ago I gave you a promise ring made out of gum wrappers, to solidify my promises to you. Today, I want to present you with an engagement ring…to solidify my commitment to you to always be by your side, to love you and support you. I love you, Kurt. Will you-"_

_"Blaine, stop!" Kurt couldn't help the nervous laugh that burst forth. Taking a deep breath, Kurt let it out slowly. "Stand up, Blaine. I can't accept this…we're friends, Blaine. That's all we are. Friends." It was painful to watch Blaine's eyes fill with tears at his words._

_Without another word Blaine walked out of the auditorium. And out of Kurt's life._


	3. It Hurts Too Much

_Sometime in early March…_

To: Blaine

**Blaine? Are you okay? -K**

To: Blaine

**Please, Blaine. Just let me know you're okay. –K**

To: Blaine

**It's been two weeks. I miss talking to u -K**

To: Sam

**Is Blaine okay? He's not answering my texts -Kurt**

To: Kurt

**He's withdrawing again. U no something? -Sam**

To: Sam

**After regionals, he tried to propose. I stopped him. -Kurt**

To: Kurt

**Oh -Sam**

To: Sam

**? -K**

To: Kurt

**Good luck w/ school & stuff -Sam**

To: Sam

**RU mad too? -K**

To: Kurt

**Disappointed. Nd to stdy. Nite. -Sam**

To: Kurt

**I finally get it. You said you were never saying goodbye to me. I'm saying goodbye to you. Plz don't contact me again. It hurts too much. -B**

To: Blaine

**Plz don't do this. UR still my best friend. -K**

To: Kurt

**I can't be just UR friend. It hurts too much. Plz respect that. -B**

To: Blaine

**Blaine, plz. -K**

To: Kurt

**Luv u always. Goodbye. –B**


	4. Letting Go of What Isn't Working

He tried to enjoy the kiss. It was a nice kiss. Nice. But it didn't curl his toes, didn't send a thousand butterflies flying in his stomach, didn't launch fireworks. And, if he was honest, their kisses never had. Placing a hand in the center of his chest, Kurt gently pushed Adam away – his gut tightening when he realized Adam was chasing after his lips.

"Adam?" his voice was tight. "I…I can't." He fumbled to find the words.

He didn't really need to. Adam was perceptive. "Fantasy man?" he confirmed.

"I'm sorry, Adam. I really am. I don't want to lead you on," Kurt breathed out, running his fingers through his hair. It was already messed from their make out session.

Shifting, Adam reached out to brush a stray lock of Kurt's hair back into place. "I…appreciate your honesty. I hope you find…what you're looking for. Happiness." Standing, he pulled his coat off the back of a chair.

"Adam?" Kurt's voice was still tiny. "I really have enjoyed our friendship…I know it's the ultimate cliché…but I really wouldn't mind being friends."

Walking around the couch, Adam sat on the back and cupped Kurt's face, lifting it up to meet his gaze. "I'm going to need some time, Kurt. I…" he hesitated, swallowing perceptively, "I really like you. I'm going to need time to…move past that. But…I will call you when I do. Because I really have enjoyed spending time with you." Leaning down, he brushed a kiss across Kurt's forehead.

When he reached the door, he looked back one last time at Kurt. "Thank you…for being honest with me. I'll see you at school, Kurt Hummel."

When the door slid back in to place, Kurt picked up his cell and dialed.

* * *

To: Frodo

**When u coming to NY to audition? –Satan**

To: Santana

**Promise me u won't say anything –Blaine**

To: Frodo

**Fuck. Whadya do? Or who? –Satan**

To: Santana

**It's not like that – Blaine**

To: Santana

**I withdrew my app to NYADA**

To: Frodo

**WTF? U in class?**

To: Santana

**English**.

To: Frodo

**U gots 2 mins to get ur ass to a bathrm. We nd 2 tlk**

* * *

True to her word, two minutes later his phone was ringing. Blaine had gone out to cement steps where he'd performed "_It's Not Unusual_" to talk. There were three other students who were probably cutting class, scattered around the area. No one was going to care.

"Hey," he said quietly.

"The fuck, Hobbit?" Santana started as if they were in mid-conversation.

Blaine swiped at the tears that came to his eyes. "I can't," he whispered knowing Santana would know what he was saying.

"Bullshit. Your Hobbit ass belongs up here in New York. Period. Who the hell am I supposed to call for bail monies when I finally throttle Little Berry Sunshine? I needs you. And even though he's too much of a coward right now to admit it, Porcelain needs you too," she was the perfect combination of good cop/ bad cop all mixed into one feisty Latina.

Sniffling, Blaine pulled out a tissue and blew his nose as quietly as he could. "I've been seeing someone."

"Okay, I'm on the next flight to Lima so I can kick your ass, Anderson," she snapped angrily.

"NO! No! No. Santana, not like that." When she finally stopped yelling at him in Spanish, Blaine attempted to explain himself. "I'm not dating. I'm seeing someone…a counselor…therapist. For depression and anxiety," he admitted quietly.

"Oh."

"Please don't judge me," he pleaded.

"Never, Frodo. I…I think it's really…brave of you, to ask for help. Really. So, can you tell me what that has to do with New York?" Hardly anyone but Brittany ever saw this side of Santana.

Blaine stared at nothing, considering his words. He hadn't talked to anyone but his counselor about this. Not Sam. Not his parents. "I asked him…well, I tried to. I had a ring and everything. And he _laughed_ at me." Blaine had to stop because he knew if he continued at that moment, he'd start sobbing, and that was the last thing he needed to do at school.

"It's okay, Blaine. Take your time. Or tell me to piss off. I'm here for you either way."

When he had himself under control, he started again. "Part of me…_died_ that day, Santana. He _laughed_. And it was _stupid_ of me…I recognize that now. I talked to Burt about it, and he told me to wait – that we were meant to be and I shouldn't rush things. But I was just kidding myself. He kept telling me we were '_just_ _friends'_.

"I didn't want to live anymore. I mean, I didn't want to hurt myself or anything…I just didn't…care. I was just…going through the motions. Coach Sylvester called my mom when I couldn't wear my Cheerios uniform because I'd lost so much weight. Mom made me go to the counselor.

Blaine switched the phone to his other ear, feeling a bit guilty that he still had the bathroom pass. "Going to New York…going to NYADA…would just be rubbing salt constantly into this gaping wound in my heart. To be that close to him…I can't, Santana. I can't just be friends with him. It hurts too fucking much," his voice broke as the tears overtook him. He dropped his head on his knees, listening as Santana murmured soothing things over the crackling phone line.

"Listen to Auntie Tana, Frodo. You're going to get through this. I'm not there to sing some embarrassing song in Glee club, but I could arrange that if you think it would help." She smiled when Blaine giggled through his tears. "Blaine, I'm sorry I can't be there for you right now, like you were there for me…even though I was a complete bitch to my Pretty Ponies."

"Yeah, you kinda were," he agreed with a smile.

"But I'm gonna leave you with a few things to think about – along with the instruction that any time you need to talk, you call me. First, if New York is the best place for you to get the education you want and need to end up doing whatever the hell you want to do as a career – you owe it to yourself to make that choice. It will be painful – but so will looking back on your life ten or twenty years from now and regretting that you didn't put yourself first," she advised sagely.

"Second…Kurt broke things off with Adam." She paused when she heard Blaine gasp. "And while I'm sure Doctor Who was a nice enough guy, he didn't stand a chance. He isn't you. And you and Hummel are soul mates. Don't give up on him just yet. By all means, heal yourself. But don't give up on love just yet."

Swallowing hard, Blaine took a deep breath as he considered everything she had said. "Thanks, Santana."

"Yeah, whatever. So, when and where are we getting those matching dolphin tattoos?"

"Left shoulder. And the day after never," he answered his laughter echoing off the cement.

Hearing a key in the lock, Santana knew it was Kurt coming home from classes. "Look, Hobbit, you probably need to get back to class. 'Cause you care about school and shit. Remember, call me. Anytime. Love you."

"Love you more, Lopez."

"Of course you do," she replied right before hanging up. Standing up, she put her hands on her hips and waited for Hummel to walk through the door. They were going to have a talk.


	5. White Chocolate

_Sometime in early April…_

To: Kurt

**Need 2 no – Sam**

To: Sam

**Sam? What? -K**

To: Kurt

**Do u still luv him? – Sam**

To: Kurt

**If u ask who, Im done – Sam**

To: Sam

**I no who ur talking about. Yes. – K**

To: Kurt

**Like in luv, wanna kiss & make babies luv –Sam**

To: Sam

**Babies? Not rt away. But, yes. Love him, love him – K**

To: Kurt

**Prom's in 3 wks. He asked that Dalton kid. –Sam**

To: Sam

**SEBASTIAN? WTF? –K**

To: Kurt

**Don't yell me. -Sam**

To: Sam

**Sry. R they dating? Plz say no. – K**

To: Kurt

**No not dating. Jst frnds –S**

To: Sam

**RU jst saying that? -K**

To: Kurt

**No, dumbass. They're JUST friends. & not how U were using that term. –S**

To: Sam

**Do I still have a chance? –K**

To: Kurt

**Wouldn't have messaged u if u didn't. U nd 2 fight 4 him. - S**

To:Kurt

**BTW - Fuck this up again, & I'll kick ur ass. B's my boy. –S**

To: Sam

**Thx. Glad he's got solid frnds to watch his back. Glad ur watchin mine 2 –K**

To: Kurt

**He asked me 2B best man. Gotta make that happen ;-) –S**

To: Sam

**No body rolls our reception -K**

To: Kurt

**No promises –S**


	6. Post-prom 2013

_Sunday, Post-prom 2013_

The Sunday morning sunshine poured through the windows into the Senior Commons at Dalton Academy. Dressed in sweatpants and a lacrosse team t-shirt, Sebastian sat across from Blaine throwing dry Captain Crunch cereal at his friend who was trying to catch it with only his mouth. Blaine had borrowed a pair of cotton shorts and a t-shirt from Sebastian, and since his hair product was at home, his after prom shower had left his hair in full curl mode. Thanks in no small part to Sebastian's intentionally poor aim, Blaine's hair contained multiple Crunch Berries.

Nick and Jeff, who were never far from each other, came stumbling into the room carry dining trays full of breakfast pastries and fruit. "How was the dance?" asked Jeff after removing the bagel from his mouth. Settling down on the couch across from Blaine, they looked expectantly at Blaine, who had dropped his face into his hands.

"What?" asked Jeff.

Sebastian rolled up and snagged an apple from the tray. "Hummel showed up," he gave in way of explanation before taking a large bite.

Nick started choking on his muffin so Jeff handed him a bottle of water. Once the coughing fit had ceased, Nick looked wide eyed at Sebastian. "Wait. _Kurt_ showed up? As in **Blaine's** _Kurt_?" Ignoring Blaine's mumble of '_he's not my Kurt_,' Nick continued. "**Kurt Hummel** came down from New York to show up to McKinley's prom? Dude, details – please and thank you."

Nudging Blaine with his knee, Sebastian got him to look up. "You wanna share your Oscar winning performance, or shall I?"

"Sebastian," Blaine said weakly.

"Come on. It was epic." Seeing that Blaine wasn't in the mood to relive the evening's events, Sebastian turned to the other boys and grinned. "The dance was…nice. Blaine looked stunning in his tuxedo of course. I hear his date also looked handsome in his Dalton blazer."

Blaine rolled his eyes at Sebastian. "You know you looked handsome, you ass."

"Yes, I do. But it never hurts to hear someone else confirm that," he teased reaching across the couch to ruffle Blaine's curls, causing the cereal to tumble out. "So we were slow dancing in the gym…I mean, they made an attempt to decorate and all, but really? The gymnasium?"

"Sebastian!" chastised Blaine, munching on the cereal from his hair.

Looking put upon, Sebastian continued. "Anyway, there we were, slow dancing when someone taps me on the shoulder really hard. I look over my shoulder and who is it, but one Kurt Hummel, looking pissed beyond belief. Doesn't even acknowledge my presence, just glares at Blaine and demands to know what he's doing at prom with me."

_"Dancing, Kurt. What does it look like we're doing?" answered Blaine sarcastically, pulling Sebastian back to him._

_Kurt caught Blaine under the arm, pulling him from Sebastian's grip. "I need to talk to you," he said sharply, trying to guide Blaine away from the smirking meercat._

_Wrenching his arm away from Kurt, Blaine folded them across his chest, and glared. "No."_

_Reeling around, Kurt couldn't have looked more shocked if Blaine had morphed into a sparkly werewolf. "I'm sorry?"_

_"No, Kurt. No, I'm not going to talk to you. This is my senior prom and I am going to spend it dancing with my date – something you got to do at both your junior and your senior proms if I recall correctly. And, if my memory serves, you don't go to school here any more – so I don't know why you're here. Frankly, I don't care." Reaching a hand out to Sebastian, Blaine tried to pull him away into the crowd of dancing students._

_"Don't walk away from me, Blaine Anderson," Kurt yelled over the music. Unfortunately, the song ended just as he said it, so every student in the gym ended up staring at them._

"But that's exactly what our boy Anderson did. Walked away, out of the gym, into the parking lot. And then shit got real," Sebastian emphasized with a head nod.

Blaine groaned, throwing his head back against the leather couch and rubbing his face with his hands. "Fuck. I can't believe that happened. Is there coffee? I need coffee." Ignoring the others, he threw himself up off the couch and went in search of caffeine.

Nick watched until he left the room then looked pointedly back at Sebastian. "And…" he prompted.

"Blaine chewed Kurt out for being a jackass. For having the audacity to question who he brought to prom, and for promising that they'd talk things through, and breaking that promise. A couple times by the sound of it. And for hooking up with Blaine and then telling everyone they were just friends. Basically trifling with Blaine's emotions." Sebastian threw the apple core into a waste bin and wiped his hands on his sweat pants.

"I was pretty proud of him, all things considered," he concluded.

"Proud of me for what?" asked Blaine, returning with a ceramic mug of liquid gold.

"For letting Hummel know how you feel. You're never gonna get back together if you keep hiding your emotions," Sebastian commented blithely.

Sighing deeply, Blaine placed his coffee on the side table before flopping back on to couch. "We're not getting back together," he said forcefully.

Nick laughed loudly. "I call bullshit, Anderson."

"Seriously," seconded Jeff, "me too." Then he started humming that Taylor Swift song.

"Guys!" remarked a frustrated Blaine.

Holding up his hand, Nick shook his head. "Bullshit! You and Hummel are like peanut butter and jelly. Yin and Yang. Aladdin and Jasmine – if she were a guy. Point is: you cannot exist without the other. It's fated, Blaine. And now, it finally sounds like you've both pulled your heads out of your asses – sorry for the graphic image – so it's gonna happen. You're gonna go to New York, go to school, go be successful, have lots of sweaty, gay sex, get married, have babies, and grow old together. Stop trying to protect your heart by denying that's what you want more than anything."

Walking over to where Blaine sat, Nick straddled the curly-haired teen's lap and grabbed his wrists. "Come on, Anderson. Say it. Say you want Kurt more than anything," he teased.

"Fuck, Nick, get off me!" grunted Blaine, trying to shove Nick off his lap.

"Not until you say it," Nick sing-songed.

Blaine's face was turning red from the effort to throw Nick to the ground. "Why are you my friend again?" he rasped.

"Because you love me. Not in the way you love Kurt, but you love me." Nick forced both of Blaine's wrists into one hand and used the other one to tickle Blaine. "I'll stop when you say it, Anderson."

"Fuck. I give," Blaine shouted. "I'm still in love with Kurt. I never stopped. And you're a fucking ass, Nicholas."

Laughing, Nick stood up and looked back at his butt. "But it's a cute ass, and you love it," he teased swinging it back and forth until Blaine tried to kick him.

"Besides," he said moving back to sit with Jeff, who was putting his phone away, clearly having filmed their whole interaction, "I owe Hummel for taking you McKinley."

Blaine took long sip from his coffee. "How's that?"

"You left. I finally got a solo," smirked Nick.

Picking up an apple from the table, Blaine threw it at Nick's head. "Ass."

Sebastian threw his head back and laughed.

* * *

Kurt's phone pinged repeatedly announcing a series of new text messages. Feeling around blindly, he managed to find the rectangular contraption on his side table and brought it up to his face, blinking away the last vestiges of sleep.

To: Warbler Kurt

**Watch this. link attached - Warbler Jeff**

To: Warbler Kurt

**Seriously. It's time. – Warbler Jeff**

To: Warbler Kurt

**Pull your head out your ass – Warbler Jeff**

To: Warbler Kurt

**COURAGE KURT! – Warbler Jeff**

To: Warbler Kurt

**I'm not above arranging a Warbler/ Nude Erections 'Gap Attack' – Warbler Jeff**

To: Warbler Kurt

**Did you watch it yet? – Warbler Jeff**

To: Warbler Jeff

**You woke me up. Hold on. – Kurt**

Kurt fiddled with his phone, pulling up the video link Jeff had sent him. Nick Duvall appeared to be wrestling with Blaine on the leather couch in the senior commons. He could hear Nick's laughter as he said, _"Come on, Anderson. Say it. Say you want Kurt more than anything."_

Kurt couldn't breathe.

Pausing the video, he reread each of Jeff's texts, trying to determine why Jeff had sent him the video. Did Blaine tell him what had happened the night before? Was he pissed at Kurt and wanted to show him that Blaine had completely moved on? But why would he threaten a 'Gap Attack'? Or mention 'courage'?

Biting hard on his lower lip, Kurt went back to the video and, finger shaking, pressed play.

_"Fuck. I give," Blaine shouted. "I'm still in love with Kurt. I never stopped. And you're a fucking ass, Nicholas."_

For the first time in months, Kurt felt the tension in his chest release. Tears wetting his cheeks, Kurt pulled up a new text message.

To: Warbler Jeff

**When? - Kurt**

To: Warbler Kurt

**10 minutes ago – Warbler Jeff**

To: Warbler Jeff

**Thank you – Kurt**

To: Warbler Jeff

**I was such an ass last night – Kurt**

To: Warbler Jeff

**Thought I'd destroyed my last chance – Kurt**

To: Warbler Kurt

**You're welcome. I ship Klaine. – Warbler Jeff**

To: Warbler Jeff

**? - Kurt**

To: Warbler Kurt

**Kurt + Blaine = Klaine – Warbler Jeff**

To: Warbler Kurt

**Don't fuck this up. Don't wait too long – Warbler Jeff**

To: Warbler Jeff

**I don't intend to - Kurt**


	7. Burtervention

Having received a mysterious text summons from Burt Hummel, Blaine Anderson walked into his car shop after school on Monday morning. All the text had said was: Need to talk. 3pm work? Seeing two of the other employees working on cars, but no Burt, Blaine waved and walked further into the shop. "Mr. Hummel? Burt?" he called out.

From inside the office, Burt appeared. "Hey, kid. Come on in. Thanks for showing up on such short notice," he said cheerfully.

"Is everything alright?" Blaine asked with concern, shrugging off his messenger bag and walking inside as Burt held the door and then shut it behind them.

"I'm fine, kid. Sorry if you worried. No, this has nothing to do with my health," he answered firmly. Gesturing towards the couch, he said, "No, this has to do with a long overdue conversation that I need to have with my son and future son-in-law. Sit." He was smiling at Blaine, but his tone certainly implied that any arguments would be summarily shot, spit roasted and eaten with a jalapeno BBQ sauce.

Kurt's mouth had gone dry the second Blaine had walked in wearing his McKinley cheerleading uniform. Damn! He certainly wore that uniform well. His eyes followed hungrily as Blaine tugged down the top to his uniform and sat – as far away from Kurt as he possibly could.

"Are you two listening?" Burt asked pointedly.

"Yes, Dad."

"Yes, Burt."

"Good," he remarked, leaning against his desk, arms folded, staring down at two of the most important people in his life. "Now I know I'm getting older and the memory is not quite what it was when I was your age – and I was your age once upon a time – but I seem to recall having this same conversation, or a variation of it, with both of you.

"Back at Christmas, Kurt, I told you that I have faced death three times – twice myself, and once with your mom – and through those struggles, I learned that the single most important thing on this earth, is the love we have for one another. And when you find what you and Blaine have…you don't walk away from it like its nothing…or like it's too hard to fight for. Relationships take time…and effort…and compromise…and love. People make mistakes. And one of the greatest inventions of all times, is forgiveness."

"And Blaine, I told you back in February, when you asked my permission to ask Kurt to marry you that you needed to give this time. You and I both know that you and Kurt are meant to be together. There's no rush. Life isn't a sprint to the finish line. God knows, if you treat it like that, you're gonna miss the amazing scenery going by."

Burt took a deep breath and watched his two boys steal glances at each other when they thought the other wasn't looking. Removing his ever-present ball cap, Burt rubbed the top of his head thoughtfully. "I feel like I've done you both a disservice by not locking you up in a room to hash this all out sooner. But enough is enough. You've both done things you regret. Learn from them. Talk to each other. Don't do it again."

"Blaine…Kurt told me some of what went down Saturday night. My son was an idiot. When he asked me to see if I could get you here so he could apologize, I decided it was my opportunity to smack you both upside the head. Kurt – eventually, he's gonna ask you to marry him. Blaine – eventually, he's gonna leap into your arms shouting 'yes' to the world. Eventually, I'm gonna have to shell out more money than I care to think about on what I imagine will be a fabulous wedding that will make the fashion gossip columns in New York. God, did I actually just say that?"

Pushing off his desk, Burt went to stand in front of Blaine. "Kurt asked for my help in getting you here. I'm going to ask you to give him the opportunity to apologize. From what he's told me, you have every right to be furious with him – and I think you might have expressed some of that to him. But, as your future father-in-law, and as someone who will always consider you to be my third son whether or not you end up with Kurt…which you will, but just so we're clear, give him a shot. Please."

Blinking to clear his eyes, Blaine nodded, not trusting his voice. Last Father's Day he'd helped Kurt pick out a 'World's Greatest Dad' coffee mug for Burt. It was the times like these that Blaine wondered how the world would look if everyone had a 'Burt Hummel' as a dad. More flannel and John Cougar Mellencamp for sure; but he had a suspicion that there'd be a lot more happiness and goodness too.

* * *

After his dad left the office, Kurt turned to look at Blaine. "Five minutes. I don't deserve it. But that's what I'm asking for."

Blaine pulled up his legs, wrapped his arms around them, and rested his chin on his knees. "I'm listening," he whispered, not making eye contact.

Chewing on his lip, Kurt decided he had nothing to lose. "Saturday night, I behaved like a complete jackass. I was completely out of line. I had no right to behave the way I did, no right to say what I said, and from the bottom of my heart, I apologize. I am sorry for embarrassing you, embarrassing your date, and for making a scene. I'm sorry I ruined your night, Blaine," he said regretfully.

"Thank you." Blaine was quiet for several long moments. "Kurt? Why'd you do it?"

Kurt played with the hem of his shirt. "I…Because you were with **_him_**. When Sam told me you were taking him, I just was so…_jealous_. _And_ hurt. And jealous. And I didn't expect to be. I had this whole plan in my head about how I would surprise you…and sweep you off your feet…and we'd…we'd be back together…and I realize now how unrealistic that sounds…but I like the romantic comedies, you know?" he glanced up to see Blaine smiling shyly back at him.

"Yeah, I know," he admitted

"When I saw you two dancing…I just wanted that so much to be me. With you. I felt like I was losing you to him. Even though you…you aren't really mine to lose right now. But that's what I felt."

"Kinda like how I felt when I was losing you to Alex," Blaine shrugged.

"Adam."

"Uh huh. Whatever."

"Blaine?" Kurt waited until Blaine peeked up at him again. "You were never in any danger of losing me to Adam. Ever."

Blaine could feel his cheeks flush with heat at that news. Tilting his head, he raised his eyebrows at Kurt. "You've never been in competition with Sebastian. Ever. I asked him…because I knew we'd have a good time…as friends. He's a flirt, yeah. But he's funny and intelligent and gay – and I know that he knows…where my heart truly lies. Where it's always been. At the end of the day, he respects my boundaries. That's the only reason why I asked him."

Kurt stared at the WMHS emblazoned across Blaine's chest. "Blaine? I'm sorry about a lot of other things too. I'm sorry I never took the time to sit down with you and allay your fears about my moving to New York. I'm sorry I made you feel like my life in New York was more important than you. It never was -–but I realize now that that's how I made you feel.

"I'm sorry for promising that we'd sit down and talk things through and then never, not once in seven months, finding the time to do so. I'm sorry for promising to make time for you and then blowing you off for NYADA.

"I'm sorry for telling you and all of our friends that we were just friends, and then throwing myself at you. I'm not sorry that we made love in the hotel room. And for the record, it meant everything to me…I don't throw myself around…and you're the only person to…touch me like that. I'm sorry for trying to make it seem like being with you was just a hook up.

"And most of all, Blaine, I'm sorry you thought, for all these months, that I was laughing at you, when you tried to propose. I wasn't, baby, I really wasn't laughing at you. I was just so…nervous…and, it just came out." Kurt stopped as tears came flooding down his face. Dropping his head into the crook of his elbow, Kurt tried to cry as quietly as possible.

After a minute or two, he felt the cushions shift and then Blaine's arms were around him.

* * *

Blaine held Kurt tightly, reveling in the feeling of having the love of his life in his arms after so long a time. But eventually he had to let go. Glancing at his phone, he realized the time.

"I've kept you too long," commented Kurt with regret.

"No!" insisted Blaine, "No, Kurt. It's not that. I'm…I'm really glad to be here right now. It's just…it's time for my medication. Hold on." Blaine got up from the couch and walked over to the mini-fridge where he knew Burt always kept a bottle of apple juice just for him. Pulling his pill bottles out, Blaine shook two pills onto his palm and swallowed them, chasing them with the sweet juice.

Seeing Kurt's look of curiosity, he tried to explain, "I'm on an anti-depressant and anti-anxiety medication. Since about March. It helps. A lot."

"Blaine – " Kurt breathed.

"Please don't judge me," he whispered.

Pulling Blaine back down on the couch, Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine's waist, resting his head on Blaine's shoulder. "Never. I just…I just feel really bad that I wasn't here for you."

Sighing, Blaine raised a hand to rub small circles on Kurt's back. "Well…maybe…maybe you could be here for me…soon."

"Blaine, I'm here now," Kurt insisted, feeling Blaine grow tense beneath him.

"Kurt…I need to ask you for two things."

"Anything. Name it," Kurt response was immediate and firm.

"Graduation is June 2nd. I've got three and a half weeks until I finish school. I need to focus on that. Only that."

"Okay. Would it be okay for me to send you a text message occasionally? An email? Or do you need me to go all stealth mode?

Blaine giggled, burying his face in Kurt's hair. "I'd like to hear from you when you have time. Just…if I don't immediately respond…it's because of school…not anything else."

Kurt hugged Blaine tighter. "Understood. What was the other thing?"

"That sometime after June 2nd, we…we actually make the time to talk…about everything else," he whispered, bring his hand up to caress the back of Kurt's head. "Because I really miss you. I miss my best friend. I miss my boyfriend. I miss my lover. And I really want us back. But I'm so scared," he stopped, swallowing hard. "I'm so fucking scared Kurt to go down that path again. I don't think I'm strong enough to make it if we can't figure this out," his voice wavered as he admitted one of his deepest fears.

"Ssshh," Kurt murmured. "You're the strongest person I know, Blaine Warbler. We're gonna fix this. I promise. And if you think I'm breaking my promise to you again, you have my permission to call Jeff and Santana and turn them loose."

Blaine snorted. "That's a frightening combination, Kurt."

"One that makes me ask myself, which one will call for bail money first?"

They looked each other in the eye, replying simultaneously, "Santana."


	8. Snoopy & The Red Baron

_Early June…_

Kurt plunked a large vanilla latte, no foam with extra whip on the table where Sebastian was sitting, studying for final exams. Not waiting for acknowledgement, he pulled out the extra chair and sat down. "Peace offering, Smythe. Coffee and a sincere apology." He offered a shy smile as Sebastian took the drink, reading the black markings on the side of the cup and grinned that Hummel knew his coffee order – or had bribed one of the baristas for it.

"Not poisoned, right?" he said with a chuckle.

Kurt's smile brightened slightly. "No. Not today."

"Glad to hear there's still a chance you'll take me out another day," Sebastian teased.

Tilting his head to the side, Kurt smirked. "Even Snoopy and the Red Baron made peace occasionally." Thinking things over in his head, Kurt became embarrassed at his past actions. Dropping his head, he stared at his hands folded on the table.

"I'm sorry for causing a scene at prom. I'm sorry for the insults I tossed your way and for generally ruining your evening with Blaine. I acted like a jackass and despite all of that, you still had his best interests at heart. It wasn't easy hearing everything **he** had to say. And it really wasn't easy hearing what **you** had to say. But I listened. So in all sincerity, thank you for saying the things I needed to hear."

Sebastian reached out a hand, covering Kurt's. "You're welcome," he offered quietly. "Bet you never thought you'd be sitting across from me at The Lima Bean," he teased softly.

Chuckling, Kurt shook his head. "Not without wanting to scratch your eyes out. Or completely make you over. One of the two. Or both."

"I have decent fashion sense, Hummel," Sebastian defended with his trademark smirk.

Rolling his eyes, Kurt held up a finger. "You do remember our night out at Scandals. Jeans and a rugby shirt, Smythe? That's not fashion sense. And certainly not if you want to meet someone at a gay bar."

Crossing his hands across his uniform clad chest, Sebastian raised an eyebrow at Kurt. "My boyfriend's got no complaints about how I look," he purred glancing over Kurt's shoulder.

"It's true, Hummel. I don't have any complaints about how Seb dresses," replied Dave Karofsky as he dragged up a third chair. "Of course, that's probably because I'm usually trying to talk him out of his clothes," he said with a shy smile, a pink blush covering his cheeks.

Reaching a hand out, Dave took Sebastian's coffee out of his hand and took a long sip. "Hi, babe," he said in way of greeting. "Sorry I'm late. Class ran long and then I had to stop at the bookstore to get you this," he reached down into a plastic bag he was carrying, tossing a black Ohio State University t-shirt at the lanky teen.

"Hummel might be offended by the poly-cotton blend. But I'm not. You need something to wear when you spend the night in the dorms. At least when my roommate's around," teased Dave with a smile.

Folding the t-shirt carefully, Sebastian slipped it into his messenger bag, a knowing smile on his face. Looking back at Kurt, he snickered at the look of astonishment on the other teen's face. "Unexpected? Yeah, we didn't really think it'd work either. But it does. And we're happy. What about you and the Warblers' biggest loss? You two manage to work things out yet?" Sebastian asked quietly.

Kurt's face fell slightly. "You were right when you said he'd burned the bridge between us. It's been really slow going. Learning to trust again. It's just…it's really hard, because we both know how great it was between us – and we both want that again. I just…really want it now. These baby steps are killing me."

Dave reached out and gently squeezed Kurt's shoulder in support. "It'll happen, Kurt. If you'd have told me three years ago that I'd be sitting here with you and my boyfriend and that I'd be out to my parents and my college friends – and that I'd be okay with that. I would have laughed in your face – or maybe punched you."

Giggling at the image, Kurt replied, "Nah, tossed me in a dumpster."

"True. Probably," Dave agreed. "My point is…it was like twelve thousand baby steps between who I was then and who I am now. And fuck, Kurt, you saw me at my lowest points. Like, all three of them. But I came out stronger. And I like who I am now. You helped me with that more than you will ever know, and more than I can say here in a coffee shop because fuck if I'm gonna start crying here."

Helping himself to another long drink of Sebastian's coffee, Dave gathered his thoughts. "You and Anderson are gonna make it over this hill. You're gonna be that much stronger for having made the journey together. And that's about as deep as I'm gonna get in a coffee shop," he smirked, knowing the levity was needed. Seeing Sebastian open his mouth he added, "Don't say it, Seb."

"Ah, babe, you're taking my fun away," whined Sebastian.

"Well, I can take it away here, or away at home, your choice," Dave replied smoothly.

Pouting, Sebastian pretended to take notes from his government textbook. "So how long are you in town for?" he asked, not looking up at Kurt.

"I'm staying for a week after graduation. Then I have to go back to New York for my job and hopefully I'll pick up a class or two during the summer session at NYADA. I'm hoping to convince Blaine to come stay with me for part of the summer. Well, truthfully, I'm hoping to convince him to move in with us. Rachel and Santana and I split a flat in Bushwick. We could section off a portion for him, or…" Kurt hesitated not wanting to voice his deepest desire.

"Or he could move in to your bedroom," Sebastian filled in smoothly.

"Yeah," Kurt breathed out. Shaking his head to clear it, Kurt glanced at his phone to check the time. "I've got to get going." Standing up he clapped a hand on Dave's shoulder. "It was really good seeing you, Dave. I'm glad to see you're happy." Looking over at Sebastian, he held out his hand, "And thank you again, Smythe."

Sebastian looked at Kurt's hand, shaking his head slowly. Standing up he moved around the table to hug Kurt before he could react. "You're welcome. We both were idiots. Let's just put it in the past, 'kay? And if you and Anderson wanna double to Breadstix…or god, anywhere else, please god, let it be anywhere else, give us a call. Seriously. I think it'd be good for all of us," offered Sebastian.

"I'd like that. I'll ask him when I see him," Kurt said pulling away. Waving one last time, Kurt left The Lima Bean feeling a lot better than when he walked in.


	9. There's a Moment

Sunday afternoon, Blaine had crossed the auditorium stage and received his high school diploma from Principal Figgins. Looking out into the crowd, he couldn't help but grin. Sebastian, Nick, Jeff and Wes were out in the audience. Kurt, Burt, Finn and Carole cheered loudly when his name was called. And while his parents had found some important reason they couldn't be there, Cooper Anderson had arranged his film schedule so he could make a special trip out to Lima, Ohio to see the more talented Anderson brother achieve this milestone. At least that's what he asked his publicity team put in the press release. And if Blaine happened to shed a few hot tears when he finally found himself wrapped in Coop's tight embrace, no one commented.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, the Hummels and Evans families had already planned for everyone to meet at the Hummel house for a family BBQ. Sam had looped an arm around Blaine's neck and dragged him over to where both families were taking pictures. And then, with a total lack of subtly, insisted that Kurt and Blaine take a picture together. "No, dudes, stand closer," he demanded, until they cautiously looped their arms around each other's waists, leaning into each other.

Kurt ducked his head so his lips were pressed up against Blaine's ear. "I'm proud of you," he whispered. "You have no idea. And if I never said it before, thank you for being brave enough to leave Dalton to be here with me. You made my senior year magic…and I'm so sorry…that yours…wasn't. Congratulations, Blaine." Closing his eyes, Kurt pressed his lips to Blaine's temple, hoping that Blaine's fingers tightening on his waist was a good thing.

Sam managed to capture that moment on his camera before Cooper wedged his way in between the boys, grinning widely. When Carole insisted that Cooper and Blaine attend the family celebration, Blaine tried to beg off. "It's family Carole," he explained with a small shrug.

Shocked, Carole cupped the young man's face. "When did you ever stop being part of this family, Blaine Anderson? You were there for Burt the same as Finn and the same as me. So you and your brother are going to come to the BBQ and if you don't, so help me, I will personally hunt you down and drag you back to the house by your ear. And you are more than welcome to invite your friends from Dalton, if you'd like," she offered with a smile.

So the Anderson brothers showed up, along with Blaine's Warbler contingent. It had been really nice to celebrate graduation surrounded by friends and family. And, later in the evening, when Carole and Mrs. Evans carried a large sheet cake decorated with lit sparklers, emblazoned with 'Congratulations Sam and Blaine! Best Wishes!', Blaine **_finally_** understood that the Hummels truly did still think of him as _family_.

Late that night, the teenagers gathered around the fire pit roasting marshmallows and making s'mores. Not asking permission, Kurt plunked down next to Blaine, wordlessly handing him a navy Dalton sweatshirt. Taking the wooden skewer from his hand, Kurt continued turning Blaine's marshmallows as the graduate shrugged into the warmth of the sweatshirt.

"Thanks," Blaine said quietly brushing fingers with Kurt as he took the skewer back. They were pressed together from the shoulders down to their thighs – neither one of them moving to put more space between them.

"Anytime." They listened to the crackle of the fire and Sam's guitar. Deliberately switching the skewer from one hand to the other, Blaine dropped his hand down to rest next to Kurt's. Then, taking a leap of faith, he moved his fingers so they brushed against Kurt's. When Kurt intertwined their fingers, Blaine felt elated. And hope. For the first time since Thanksgiving, he actually felt hope.

Pulling Blaine's hand up and into his lap, Kurt carefully switched hands, so he could wrap his right arm around Blaine's shoulders, turning into Blaine's side. "You still take my breath away," he whispered quietly into Blaine's ear. "I know you don't get time with Cooper, like _ever_, and I don't know how long he's staying for – but I leave next Saturday. And…and I'd really like to spend some time alone with you. If…if that sounds even the least bit appealing."

Blaine pulled the marshmallows from the fire and pressed them between two graham crackers. Sucking the molten marshmallow from his thumb, he offered the sandwich to Kurt who took a bite, chewing slowly. "Tuesday? Coop's leaving tomorrow evening, so I'd planned on spending the day with him before taking him to the airport. If you'd like, you could come to lunch with us. If you don't have other plans. Besides, Coop wants to catch up with his favorite New Yorker. But, Tuesday would work…for some time alone. I'd…I'd like that." Blaine dropped his eyes, staring off into the darkness.

"Tuesday works just fine," Kurt murmured. Watching as shadows from the firelight played across his face, Kurt was stuck by how truly breathtaking Blaine was. _There's a moment, when you say to yourself, 'oh, there you are. I've been looking for you forever.' Watching you in the firelight, that was a moment…for me…about you._ Kurt knew it was a risk. Maybe Blaine wasn't ready. But, then again, hadn't their entire relationship basically started out with a focus on one word.

_Courage_.

"Blaine?" It came out barely a whisper. But he heard. And turned his head towards Kurt.

Drifting forward, Kurt watched for any sign of discomfort, for any sign that Blaine wasn't ready to take this step. Instead, Kurt felt a flare of heat in his belly as Blaine's tongue flicked out to moisten his lips. Cupping the back of Blaine's head with the hand that had been on his shoulder, Kurt brushed their lips together softly. He placed sweet, chaste kisses on Blaine's forehead, cheeks and chin before capturing his warm lips again.

Twining his fingers in Kurt's hair, Blaine held him in place as he teased the tip of his tongue against Kurt's lower lip then sucking on it gently. They spent several long minutes reacquainting themselves with the wet slip and slide of kissing, before finally separating to rest their foreheads together.

"Still think we need to practice?" Kurt teased with a shy smile.

"Oh, yeah," Blaine sighed, pressing their lips together one more.

Everyone else was only too happy to keep quiet and watch as Kurt and Blaine finally found their way back to each other.

* * *

**End Note:** Gosh, if you made it this far, thank you so much for taking the time to read this indulgence. Seriously. I want to thank BilliMonroe for putting up with my randomness & for her thoughtful commentary. Cyber iced coffee to be delivered asap. There will be an epilogue for this story, entitled "_Tuesday_" that should be up Sunday or Monday (I could post it Tuesday, but that would be too serendipitous. _Tuesday_ will carry an M rating, though. Until then, happy reading!


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